


Heroes of Thedas

by Acrylic_Nightmares



Series: Dragon Age [1]
Category: BioWare - Fandom, Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Inquisition - Fandom, Origins - Fandom
Genre: Book 1, Dragon Age 2 mentions, F/F, F/M, Follows the plot, Hero of Ferelden x Alistair, Origins Back Story, Spoilers, Violent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 03:46:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9530216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acrylic_Nightmares/pseuds/Acrylic_Nightmares
Summary: “There’s a funny thing they don’t tell you about being a hero. Being a villain? It’s easier. You die, or you win. Being a hero… you put everything on the line because no one else will. And you lose things.”





	1. Prologue

The fade is another world, covered in green shapes and shadows. Demons resting around every corner. Fear living in the rocks and stones of the tiers and towers that scattered the landscape. Everything was dark. A thick mist had settled across the lower areas and valleys. Opening her eyes, Rosie’s view was obstructed by the thick fog. Quickly she climbed to her feet and took in her surroundings. Moments ago she had been standing in the middle of the temple of Sacred Ashes. How she got here...she didn’t know. The wasteland around her looked hopeless but something in her knew she wasn’t safe here. Would never be safe here, and that she needed to leave. Now. Her feet carried her a little ways before she spotted a brighter green area on top of a mountain. It was a good a shot to get out of here as any. She checked herself over, she was still clothed so that was good. Her curly white hair was still short so she couldn’t have been passed out too long. She couldn’t account for her skin, it was greenish like the world around her. Rosie’s ears were still pointed, she was still a Dalish. Her gold eyes shifted back to the landscape and she took a moment to try and decipher what she had gotten herself into. Was she still in Thedas? Still in Ferelden? 

Suddenly there was a chitter. Echoed with others and turning towards the sound Rosie froze. Spiders. They crawled out of caves and cracks in the ground, they seemed to form out of the mist around her. Big, chittering black spiders. Swearing Rosie turned towards the light and picked up her pace, sprinting across the blackened rock beneath her feet. Get out. Get away. Need to make it.  
The spiders were gaining on her, their chittering louder and always getting closer. Rosie’s breath hitched in her throat as panic spread through her. Her haven was up on top of the mountain before her, the ledge for it to cut her off coming up fast. Using the strength in her legs she jumped up and latched onto the mountain edge. Scrambling up the sharp edges and pulling herself through the rubble. She thanked the maker her and her little sister used to climb ledges when they were younger. Though her sister was far better at it and a lot more nimble. But that wasn’t what she should be thinking about. She needed to get to the top.  
Looking over her shoulder the spiders began to climb, to follow. She wasn’t going to make it if one of them caught her. Turning her attention forward again she stumbled and almost fell as a rock crumbled beneath her hands. The silhouette of a woman reached out to her and Rosie froze. She didn’t have time to question it. She grabbed the woman’s hand and was pulled up onto the top. She had made it. And the spiders were still right behind her. The woman turned to Rosie and pointed towards the green light, “Go there’s not much time. Go!” She called. Rosie stumbled back stunned still from all the new things, the new dangers. Turning she started running for the light and when she looked back to check the spiders had caught up. Rosie jumped through the light without hesitation. She fell for what felt like forever until her feet hit solid ground abruptly and her knees buckled under her own weight. Pushing herself up to her hands and her knees Rosie gasped. 

Pain radiated from her hand and her eyes fluttered closed. She collapsed.


	2. Chapter 1 The Beginning  of Legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventure begins.   
> Spoilers of Inquisition.. Just a heads up.

Rosie came to late, how much later she didn’t know. But she did know she needed to stop passing out or people are going to assume she’s faint or sickly. Being pale and dalish probably didn’t help with that. There was a cool sensation on her wrists and looking down at her own hands she saw the cuffs. She was chained? To the floor. What the hell. Jerking them to the right softly she tested the strength. Someone really did not want her to leave, those cuffs and chains were not budging. Rosie pulled her legs under her and sat up on her knees, looking around her. Soldiers surrounded her, silver blades glowing in torchlight as they were pointed at her. Rosie swallowed hard and pain brought her attention back to herself. The dark room was suddenly the least of her concerts as her hand throbbed and spasmed, green light sparking off her palm as if it were a fire caught under her skin. Gasping Rosie grit her teeth and glared at her own hand, how much she wanted to cut it off right now… 

The doors of the room, or cell, swung open and Rosie jumped back from the blinding light. She heard footsteps as she closed her eyes away from the brightness and waited for something to happen. The doors swung shut with an earsplitting bang and Rosie opened her eyes again. Two women stood in front of her. They weren’t familiar yet again nothing about this situation was familiar to Rosie. This was the kind of deep shit her sister would get into, not her. One woman, dressed in armor and practically oozing distaste for the platinum blonde elf on the floor in front of her. Rosie swallowed hard as the woman began to speak. 

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now. The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Everyone… except for you.” The woman’s voice was deep and as she stepped closer Rosie could see the scar that ran from her mid cheek to her chin. It was ragged and clearly the woman was a warrior, Rosie could see the fire burning in her eyes as she was stared down. Rosie wanted to shrink, to get away some how, anything so she didn’t have to confront this woman. But the fire in the darker woman’s eyes fueled Rosie’s own and she found the strength to fight, the will to argue her defence. 

“You think I did it? That I’m responsible?” Rosie practically spit back her eyebrows drawing together. Her deep blue Vallaslin wrinkling as her expression changed. 

The woman’s eyes flared with anger and her hand flew to Rosie’s chains, jerking her hands up abruptly and causing Rosie to gasp in surprise, “Explain this.” 

Rosie gasped again as pain radiated from her palm again, the dimly lit room began to glow in a green light, a haze that suddenly looked slightly familiar to her. The pain subsided and the light went away. The room darkened again and Rosie looked from the woman to her hand with wide golden eyes in shock. 

“I-I can’t.” 

“What do you mean you can’t?” The woman yelled loudly causing Rosie to flinch back in fear of being struck out at. Her fire subsiding to the eternally fueled one of her interrogator. Fear was beginning to grip her heart with its blackened fingers and she didn’t know if she could get out of this one. Even she knew this didn’t look good for her. She would have suspected herself if the situation were flipped. 

“I don’t know what that thing is or how it got there.”   
Rosie wanted to kick herself for the fear and emotion she let slip into her voice. If she was going to make it out of here she needed to hide it. She stared at the pale skin of her hand and felt as if it were alienated from the rest of her body. No longer hers to command. She swallowed around the knot ever growing in her throat and looked back to her interrogation in progress. She could deal with her hand when this was over. 

“You’re lying!” The woman lunged at her, her arm pulling back and Rosie braced herself as best she could, closing her eyes and waiting...waiting for a hit that never came. The other woman, in purple whom Rosie had forgotten, gripped the interrogators arm and pulled her back a few steps from Rosie. 

“We need her Cassandra.” The woman spoke, she had a thicker accent and Rosie was reminded of the brief time she had spent in Orlais, it was just a through trip where she had stopped to resupply after leaving the clan but still the accent was recognizable. 

“What now?” Rosie asked quietly, her fear ebbing with the familiarity of a simple accent. She was lost and confused but the simple reminder brought her mind back to her and she sat upright. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. It was no longer in her own control. In fact Rosie questioned if it ever was. What a crazy day this was turning out to be. 

The woman in purple stepped forward and Cassandra seemed to move away from Rosie briefly, which she thanked the maker for. “Do you remember what happened? How this all began?” 

Rosie swallowed and looked to the ground taking a moment, whatever she said was going to be what sealed her fate. Blurry images came back to her as if they were out of a dream. Green, blacken rocks, a cliff? 

Spiders. 

“I remember running… things were chasing me and then… a woman.” 

The nicer of the two interrogators eyes widened slightly and her voice tipped up with confusion, “A woman?” 

Rosie nodded softly as if to convince herself more than the people before her, “She reached out to me but then…” 

Cassandra interrupted her and Rosie scowled slightly, “Leliana go to the forward camp. I will take her to the rift.” 

Rosie watched Leliana exit and disappear out the doors once more into the world outside. Cassandra stepped up to Rosie and bent down, unlatching her cuffs from the floor and pulling Rosie to her feet which was a little more manhandling than Rosie would appreciate but it was progress. Cassandra replaced the metal manacles with the rope and Rosie never would have thought she would be so happy for the rough texture of rope. 

Finding her voice and her courage again Rosie spoke to Cassandra, “What did happen?”   
Cassandra blinked at her and she was close enough for Rosie to make out the brown color of her eyes, “It will be easier to show you.” 

The furry the other woman had once possessed had subsided and was replaced by what seemed to be a neutral feeling. Rosie hoped the woman didn’t find her furry again...for her sake. Cassandra lead the smaller dalish out of her brief prison and into the light. Rosie winced against the brilliance for a moment before her eyes adjusted and were glued to the sky. A bright green swirling storm held the place at the highest point and it crackled and grew. Her breath was taken by the sight and an eerie sense of dread filled her at the sight of it. Rosie’s lips parted and she turned to Cassandra who was looking at the anomaly in the sky as well. 

“We call it the Breach. It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave.”

Rosie gaped in awe, “An explosion can do that?” 

Cassandra sighed and turned to face the smaller elf, “This one did. Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world.” 

Rosie swallowed hard and dread seeped into her skin like cold from sitting in a river in the middle of winter. It prickled her nerves and set her on edge. 

Pain rippled up her arm as the light from the sky flared brilliantly. Rosie cried out and the pain from her palm sent her straight to her knees in the snow she hadn’t noticed. Gasping to gather air in her lungs after the shocking pain she looked up at Cassandra who bent down next to her.

“Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this but there isn’t much time.”

Rosie glared at her hand, how had this happened? How had she gotten into this mess? Her mind was swarming with questions and her fear was stronger than the storm in the sky. Rosie took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment looking from her hand to Cassandra who was watching her intently and helped Rosie to her feet much more gently than before. 

“I understand.” 

Rosie thought of her family, if that hole in the sky keeps growing it won’t matter what happens to her. The world would all share an awful fate. She wouldn’t let that happen. Never to her little sister back home who was definitely going to kill her if she made it out of this. 

“Then…?” Cassandra started her eyes widened with hope and their color seemed to lighten with the emotion. Rosie nodded softly, her white hair falling slightly into her eyes. 

“I’ll do what I can.” Rosie stated maintaining eye contact, “Whatever it takes.” 

Cassandra nodded and ushered Rosie to follow her as they passed through a town. Turning to check behind her Rosie was met with the sight of a Chantry hall and her eyes widened slightly as she took in the mountains that surrounded them. They were the Frostback mountains. She was in Haven. Making a checklist of her unanswered questions Rosie followed along behind Cassandra, facing forward once more. People littered the sides of the path they were going down and they glared and scowled. Rosie felt oddly like it was a walk of shame, the final walk to the gallows in the public square. Picking up her pace she followed closer behind Cassandra, turning her attention away from the human’s hostile gazes. 

““They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead.”

Rosie winced and looked to the snow in disdain she had really gotten herself into a shithole of a mess. Guards stood at the gates of Haven and as they approached they stood up straighter, more attentive. Upon seeing Cassandra the guards opened the gates hurriedly and Cassandra turned to Rosie looking down at her and pulling out a Dagger from where it have been concealed at her hip where Rosie hadn’t seen it. 

“We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves, as she did. Until the breach is sealed.”

The silver shined and Cassandra lifted Rosie’s hands and cut the rope holding her wrists together. Rosie quickly rubbed lightly at the areas that had been most abused by the texture of the rope and the cold of the metal. 

Cassandra sighed softly and once again caught Rosie’s attention, “There will be a trial. I can promise no more.Come. It is not far.” 

Rosie nodded again, still at a loss for words. The shock of the events was slowly catching up to her but her adrenaline was pumping now. Whether she could do it or not they needed to stop the hole that was swallowing the sky. Her feet were numb as she began to move forward, her boots softly slapping against the snow covered ground. Rosie followed along behind Cassandra as she lead her along the path, thoughts of home consumed Rosie’s mind as she passed soldiers running back to Haven and fire licking greedily on either sides of the path in patches. She thought of her clan and the last time she had seen them, in the Free Marches just before her birthday. Her sister had been sad when she left, being a few years younger Evelynn couldn’t leave just yet on her own. Rosie on the other had chose to leave and make a new name for herself and she had thought involving herself in the politics and going to a meeting to end the war of the templars and the mages would get her a start. She’d been wrong of course. 

Rosie thought of the day she had become a hunter for the clan, the respect that came with it made her father proud and her mother beamed so much that Rosie thought her face would get stuck like that. Rosie smiled softly to herself at the thought of her clan, her family. 

Looking up and jerking herself from her thoughts Rosie took in her surroundings. They were on a bridge and on the bridge was chaos. Body’s covered in cloths and tied shut with rope lined either side of the bridge. The chant for the departed rang through the air softly as the chantry people sent their last wishes to the dead. Rosie swallowed hard as they passed wounded soldiers bleeding on the ground, the red of their blood spilling onto the stones and standing out against the grey and white of the hills. The sight was a grim one, and Rosie quickly felt the happy thoughts of her home slip from her mind. This was not a place to think of them. This is what she needed to prevent from happening for the rest of the world. The eyes of her little sister would never fall upon the bodies of her friends. Not if Rosie could stop it. 

“Open the gate! We are headed into the valley!”

Cassandra’s voice startled Rosie and stirred her once again from her thoughts. She needed to stop daydreaming or she was going to die. The guards at the gate once again parted the strong wooden doors that spilled into the valley and lead up to a hill that curved to the left. Cassandra waved Rosie to lead and she did, following the path worn into the snow covered ground. Thought it was clearly winter and cold, Rosie couldn’t feel it. Not anymore. 

A group of soldiers passed by them on their way down the path screaming frantically in a panicked manner, “Maker, it’s the end of the world!” 

Rosie swallowed hard, Cassandra had mentioned demons. She personally had never seen one and she wasn’t looking forwards to the experience. Reaching the top of the hill it happened. The Breach pulsed and Rosie collapsed crying out in pain. It was more than last time, it burned and she felt like fire was trying to rip her hand away from her. Cassandra was at her side in a second and quickly pulled Rosie out of the snow and back up on her feet for the third time today… not that Rosie was keeping a score but it was getting a little ridiculous that she couldn’t even stay standing. “The pulses are coming faster now. The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.” 

Rosie blinked at Cassandra and the pain had triggered more adrenaline to run into her veins. Rosie thought of the Conclave, it had been in a huge temple… if the explosion caused the Breach it must have looked something like the Breach itself. Big, glowing, ugly.. 

“How did I survive the blast?” Rosie’s words slipped out before she could stop them and Cassandra turned to her and sighed, “They said you… stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.”

Rosie nodded slowly and they continued along the path until they came to another bridge, this time Rosie did not look to the corpses but to the other end where others stood waiting for them or guarding the gate, she wasn’t sure and she didn’t have enough time to decide before a green ball of whatever the fuck was attacking the sky flew at the cobblestone bridge and left it in shambles. Rosie was launched into the air as the stone beneath her feet buckled and tossed her. Falling down Rosie moved her arms in front of her in panic bracing to slam into the ice blow them. Her shoulder slammed into a slate of stone and she tumbled down and slammed into the ice. Her head hitting it hard. Gasping she rolled onto her side and struggled to regain air in her lungs. Taking a moment of pause she groaned and sat up slowly. Seeing Cassandra not far from her. Another piece of the Breach came flying towards them and Demons rose from the ashes. Rosie stared at them in awe and Cassandra charged past Rosie brandishing her sword and shield like a valiant hero from a tale. 

Rosie panicked as one of the demons reared towards her as Cassandra took the other. Looking around her Rosie lept to her feet forgetting the splitting headache from slamming her head, by the crates that had been on the bridge lay a bow and a busted quiver. Racing for it Rosie notched an arrow and turned to the demon. Blood dribbled from her forehead into her left eye and she closed it, aiming with the other and letting the arrow fly. It sunk into the flesh of the demon with a sickening noise but Rosie didn’t wait for the demon to scream before she sent more. Turning the demon into a pincushion. Suddenly when she reached there wasn’t any more arrows and the demon was still standing. Rosie took a defensive stance and waited for the demon to charge her. She didn’t have much of a choice. The demon lunged and she stepped to the side and used the bow itself, slipping the head of the demon between the wood and the string. Gripping the ends tightly Rosie jerked backwards with a scream and the demon’s head lolled to the side and fell off. Rosie was breathing heavily and ichor from the demon covered her hands. 

“Drop your weapon.” 

Rosie turned to face Cassandra slowly, still gripping the bow. Rosie raised her hands slowly still struggling to catch her breath. After hitting her head she wasn’t doing so hot. Rosie sighed softly, “I need this weapon Cassandra. There are demons literally everywhere. Are you going to take on an army of them on your own?” 

Cassandra sighed, her sword pointed at Rosie and waiting. Slowly it lowered and Cassandra nodded, “You are right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I should remember that you agreed to come willingly.” 

Cassandra turned from Rosie and she ran back to the crates to grab another quiver quickly before running back over to Cassandra who stood ready with a cloth and handed it to Rosie pointing at her head before she turned from the elf and continued their trek. Rosie pressed the fabric to her forehead and mopped up the blood enough to open her other eye, finally thankful for full range of her sight. Rosie cleared her throat softly having more questions for the warrior, “Where are all your soldiers?” 

Cassandra glanced over her shoulder at Rosie but continued their pace across the bank, “At the forward camp, or fighting. We are on our own, for now.” 

Rosie sighed softly to herself and gripped her boy tighter, thankful for the scarf she wore on her neck and the strong boots she decided to wear to the conclave. As they continued corpses littered the ground. The further they got from Haven the more corpses they saw. Twisted, tainted, gnarled, pale bodies. Blood splattered the snows and slickened the ice beneath their feet. Their eyes were cold, white… unmoving and wide. Rosie turned her attention from them and stared at the back of Cassandra’s head. 

Rosie stumbled up a staircase covered in snow and Cassandra turned to her, the sounds of cries and swords filling the air around them, “We’re getting close to the rift. You can hear the fighting.” 

Rosie picked up her pace and the two women mounted the hill. Below them was a group of people fighting demons. Quickly Rosie took her aim and aided best she could. Cassandra surged forward throwing herself into the thick of demons and slashing wildly. The glint of her sword guiding Rosie’s aim. Her arrows cut through the air and struck deep in the demons, a few collapsing from her blows. The demons collapsed one by one, taken out of the fight until there was no fight to be fought. Rosie ran towards Cassandra and someone grabbed her wrist, “Quickly, before more come through!”

The hands were cold and belonged to a mage who had been in the battle with them, his staffs end was balanced against Rosie’s lower back seeming to both keep her in place and upright. He pulled her hand up towards the rift in front of them and her hand pulsed, it ached a little like it was being pulled and then it stopped and when Rosie looked again the rift was gone. 

“What did you do?” Rosie asked pulling her hand out of his grasp and holding it to her chest staring at it in awe. The male mage watched her do so and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Rosie turned to him and squinted slightly, he seemed so out of place here. He had to be an apostate.. He was dalish… “I did nothing. The credit is yours.”

Rosie blinked at him for a moment his words taking time to register. She had done it, she could stop this madness. She could end the suffering before it truly began. Hope filled Rosie as she turned to the mage, “At least this is good for something.”

The mage nodded his head briefly at her response, “Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake – and it seems I was correct.” 

“Meaning it could also close the Breach itself.” Rosie turned to Cassandra, in all honesty she had forgotten for a moment about her completely. She had been so caught up in her ability to help that she hadn’t remembered where they were or who was there. Rosie felt her ears burn slightly, a trait she shared with her sister, and let her hand fall back to her side softly. 

“Possibly.” The mage answered nodding his head at Cassandra as well and turning to face Rosie once more, allowing her to really get a good look at him this time. He was taller than her and his ears were bigger than her own. He had no vallaslin on his face and she saw no trace of a hint to give away whether he was in a clan or born in a city, though she supposed it didn’t matter but he had caught her attention and peaked her curiosity, “It seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

The mage smiled softly at Rosie and she sighed briefly not sure what to say if there was anything to be said. 

“Good to know! Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” 

Rosie turned to face the owner of the new voice and found herself facing a blonde dwarf with a crossbow. At this point she wasn’t even surprised anymore. He wore a smile on his face and he wiped the blood off of his cross bow quickly, “Varric Tethras. Rouge, storyteller and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” 

Varric turned his glance from Rosie to Cassandra and winked. Cassandra groaned and Rosie felt a smile coming. These two had a history that much was evident. The tension was thick and Rosie knew someone needed to break it, so why not her? 

“That’s… a nice crossbow you have there.” Really? That was the best she could come up with? Though if she was telling the truth it was kick ass. “Ah, isn’t she? Bianca and I have been through alot together.” 

Varric looked at his crossbow lovingly and Rosie laughed quietly at his remark, “You named your bow Bianca?” 

That had to have a good story. 

“Of course. And she’ll be great company in the valley.” Varric said matter-of-factly shooting Cassandra glance. Rosie snickered more and she knew she would be hearing it later if they all lived. Stirring the conversation on before Cassandra could remark Rosie spoke, “So, I closed the rift. What now?” 

“Now we go to meet Leliana.”   
The other woman from before, Rosie realised. They scraped their way through the valley as a group and Leliana made it on her own? Note to self… don’t mess with the nice ones. “What a great idea!” 

Everyone turned to Varric again who seemed as pleased with himself as ever, Cassandra however… was not amused. “Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated, Varric, but…” 

“Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.” 

Cassandra made a loud noise of clear distaste that rumbled slightly in her throat and Rosie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Varric reminded her of Evelynn. Her sister always seemed to piss people off just by being herself and sticking her nose into things. 

“My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I’m pleased to see you still live.”   
Rosie turned to the mage again as he spoke to her, he dipped his head in a formal greeting manner and Rosie smiled at him softly without intending to. 

Varric spoke up again and Cassandra visibly sighed, “He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'” 

Rosie’s eyes widened slightly and she turned to him once more looking at her hand and then to the mage, if he knew something about this… but that wasn’t important right now. He kept her alive, “Thank you.” She spoke softly. 

Solas’ mouth tipped up at the corner, clearly slightly amused with her response, “Thank me if we manage to close the Breach without killing you in the process.” 

Well then, aren’t you cheery. Rosie thought to herself as she looked to Varric who just shrugged in response and shook his head. 

“Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have ever seen.” Solas turned to Cassandra while Rosie and Varric exchanged exasperated expressions. Cassandra nodded authoritatively and turned away from the group, her shield on her back again and her sword in its sheath, “Understood. We must get to the forward camp quickly.” 

“Well, Bianca’s excited!” 

Rosie laughed at Varric’s remark as he raised his eyebrows and hugged his crossbow to him. Cassandra rolled her eyes as she stepped down onto a lower ledge and crossed it to the bank leaving the others to follow along behind her. Rosie was in the middle of the group with Cassandra and Varric in front of her and Solas behind her, which strategically made the most sense. Rosie sighed as she stepped over more corpses, would it ever end? How many had really died here? The conclave.. The soldiers… when would it stop? 

“You are Dalish, but clearly away from the rest of your clan. Did they send you here?”   
Solas questioned Rosie who looked over her shoulder briefly at him slowing her pace and falling into step to answer his question, “What do you know of the Dalish?”   
Finally she was going to find out more about him by him asking her questions. She had always been good at that, getting information without actually asking. 

“I have wandered many roads in my time, and crossed paths with your people on more than one occasion.”

Clearly Solas was better at dodging questions than Rosie was at asking, which was fine because they had far more pressing issues to handle. “Crossed paths?”

Solas looked over at Rosie who had to crane her neck to look him in the eye, “I mean that I offered to share knowledge, only to be attacked for no greater reason than their superstition.” 

Rosie scowled and was about to make a remark when Varric intervened and left her standing there with an open mouth and no words to say, “Can’t you elves just play nice for once?” 

Rosie scowled harder and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from saying things that didn’t need to be said. There was no point in going at each other when you were in a valley infested with demons. Rosie felt a tug on her hand and then pain. Grunted she pulled it to her chest and cried out in pain briefly pausing her walk. Solas stopped with her and the other’s turned, “I know it’s difficult.. But we must keep moving.” Cassandra’s voice was softer than before and Rosie nodded, sweat beading on her forehead from the pain and causing blood long dried to begin to dribble once more. 

Solas wrapped an arm around Rosie carefully and helped her to keep her balance as they continued on. Rosie didn’t have the strength to protest as the mark on her hand flared and glowed, burning just underneath her skin.   
“I hope Leliana made it through all this.” Cassandra remarked as they climbed over yet another path of corpses. They littered the ground more and more frequently now. Some tossed up on top of each other and others thrown harshly against the ground at odd angles. 

“She’s resourceful, Seeker.” Varric reassured and Cassandra seemed to buy it, what an odd bond they shared. Rosie had no idea what they went through but she didn’t question it as long as it wasn’t an issue. “We will see for ourselves at the forward camp. We’re almost there.” 

Rosie straightened up a bit and took her weight off Solas the pain subsiding enough for it to be manageable and she shot him a thankful glance before jogging to catch up with Cassandra as they came to another gate and bridge. The bridge wa busy with life, people running back and forth, soldiers awaiting orders, carts, crates, tents, tables, chests… And Leliana arguing with a man from the Chantry standing in front of a tent off to the right. Leliana glanced at them as they approached but continued her conversation with the Chantry man, “We must prepare the soldiers!” 

“We will do no such thing.” 

“The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!” Leliana’s voice rose as her apparent frustration did. The group stopped in front of the table and let the argument play out. Rosie glanced at Cassandra who gave her no mind as she glared at the man. “You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility.” 

“I have caused trouble?”   
Leliana’s anger was beginning to appear in her features, her expression in her eyes, the twist of her mouth and the tilt of her head. This man was playing a dangerous game and Rosie had a feeling Leliana was going to win this one at some point. No matter how long it took. 

“You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven’t you all done enough already?” 

“You’re not in command here!”

“Enough! I will not have it!”

Leliana rolled her eyes and turned to Rosie, gesturing towards the small elf with her hand, Chancellor Roderick this is-” 

“I know who she is. As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

Rosie’s eyes widened slightly in shock and she reeled from the comment. But she could help?! She could close the breach. She wasn’t a common criminal! She wasn’t a criminal at all! Her anger bubbled to the surface and she glared at the man before her begging he would drop dead. Cassandra was thinking someone along the lines of the same thing apparently because when she spoke out the bridge went silent and her voice boomed over the ice and cold surrounding them magnified by the mountains around them,“'Order me’? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!” 

Rosie bit down hard on her lip, speaking now would not be wise no matter how badly she wanted to defend the Seeker standing next to her. Her hands tightened into fists and the tension in the air was immense. 

Leliana’s tone was cool again when she spoke, “We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know.”

“Justinia is dead! We must elect her replacement, and obey her orders on the matter.”

“So none of you are actually in charge here.” The acid in Rosie’s voice slipped as well as her tongue. Her anger had become too much and she felt she was about to explode. She wanted to take care of the real threat and didn’t want to deal with this man and his morals and rules and chains of commands. 

“You killed everyone who was in charge!” 

“And you kill people every second we waste here instead of taking care of the breach.” Rosie’s pale hands slammed down hard on the table in front of her and fury burned hot as fire in her golden eyes that had hardened with her expression. The Chancellor jumped back a bit and Rosie stood there fuming. Ignoring her the Chancellor went on, “Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless.” 

Cassandra was just as annoyed with him as Rosie was, that much was evident, “We can stop this before it’s too late.” 

“How? You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.” 

“We must get to the temple. It’s the quickest route.” Cassandra supplied but Leliana stepped closer with an idea apparent on her face and everyone turned to her as she spoke softly and matter-of-factly about her opinion, “But not the safest. Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

“We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It’s too risky.” 

Rosie sighed and looked at her fingernails while the two discussed, “Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost.” 

Rosie bit her tongue hard and ignored the ignorant fuck in front of her. In the sky above them the breach grew, and Rose winced in pain as her mark followed suit, taking up more of her hand. 

“How do you think we should proceed?”

Rosie looked up and to the others who were all waiting for her response. Weighing her options Rosie sighed, there never seemed to be an easy or safe choice out here. But they had to fix that breach and they had to fix it fast. Running her fingers through her hair she turned to Cassandra, ““I say we charge. I won’t survive long enough for your trial. Whatever happens, happens now.”

Rosie stared up at the mountains before them as she stated her choice and then looked to Cassandra again who nodded approvingly and Rosie relaxed a little her anger burning away on its own. Finally they were going to do something. Something instead of arguing.   
“Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone.” 

Leliana nodded to Cassandra and ran off away from the group to gather people. Cassandra watched her go and continued walking the way they all had been facing to cross the bridge. As they made their depart a voice called after them. “On your head be the consequences, Seeker.” 

Rosie turned around and visibly rolled her eyes at the Chancellor and followed the others off the bridge and prepared to charge with the soldiers.


End file.
